Israeli Officer Killed in Lebanon Vehicle Accident

Captain Eliab Chaim Tzfalamus, a 21-year-old officer from Haifa, was killed during operational activity in southern Lebanon on Thursday. Tzfalamus, a combat officer from the 603rd Battalion of the 7th Brigade, died when an Humvee vehicle overturned near the Litani River. Three other IDF soldiers sustained light injuries in the incident and were evacuated for medical treatment. Their families have been notified.

This incident follows a previous event in August where two soldiers, Major Harel Birnstock, 34, from Nokdim, and Sergeant Major Tamir Waknin, 33, from Eilat, were killed by an explosive device detonated in a building in the southern Lebanon town of Majdal Zoun. Four other soldiers were seriously injured in that blast. The soldiers had entered the structure as part of an operation to clear buildings and destroy terror infrastructure when the charge detonated. The IDF responded by attacking weapons storage facilities and command posts in Lebanon.

At the time of the August incident, it was unclear if the explosive device had been recently placed or was an older ordnance. The IDF spokesperson blamed Hezbollah for violating the ceasefire and issued an evacuation warning to residents of the village of Al-Mansouri ahead of an attack.